Nonspill vent plug



Dec. 29, 1936. J. L.. wooDBRiDGE 2,065,783 l NONSPILL VENT PLUG Filed May 3, 1935 [inleg/Maag firman/Z UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE Patentedl Dec. 29, 1936 assignor to The Electric Storage Battery Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 3, 1935, Serial No. 19,638

5 Claims.

One object of the present invention is to improve and simplify the construction and operation of the device, more especially in respect to the means'by which the cell is vented when in upright or normal position.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description at the end of which the invention will be claimed.

Generally stated,.the invention consists of a vent plug having an axially disposed vent passage through it and equipped with a gravityoperated resilient diaphragm provided with an imperforate portion for sealing the outlet part of the vent passage when the device is in tilted position, and also provided with a. .perforated portion for affording access to the outlet part of the passage when the device is in upright position.

The invention also comprises the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed.

In the following descriptiomreference will be made to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof and in which:

Fig. 1 shows in vertical section a vent plug involving features of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows the plug in the tilte'd position.

Fig. 3 shows, in a perspective view, the valve actuating plunger.

Figs. 4 and 5 show the valve diaphragm in plan an-d sectional elevation, respectively.

Fig. 6 shows'a modication in which the actuating weight is in the form of al truncated cone.

Referring to Fig. 1, the Vent plug comprises a cylindrical outer shell I having an extension 2 at the bottom of smaller diameter and externally threaded to engage the vent opening of the cover 3 of the storage battery cell. A soft rubber gasket 4 is located between the boss of the cover and the shoulder 6 of the vent plug to insure a tight seal.

Within the shell I is a second cylindrical shell 'I snugly fitting the interior wall of the shell I and provided at the bottom with an internally projecting portion 8 adapted to seat against the interior shoulder 9 of the shell I. The lower end of the shell 'I is provided with an axial orice I0, within which is a loosely fitting plunger Il shown in perspective in Fig. 3. The plunger II is provided with vertical grooves I2 around its periphery.

The orice I is adapted to be closed by a resilient valve diaphragm I3, shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. y

The valve aphragm I3 as shown is in the form of a cap of soft rubber or similar material (Cl. 13G-178) adapted to fit snugly over the lower projection of the shell 'I. The valve diaphragm I3 is provided with openings I4 at a distance from the center suicient to leave an unperforated area in the middle adapted to close the orifice I0 when the diaphragm is held against the boss I surrounding the orifice I0.

A cap I9 closes the upper end of the shell I with which it has screw-thread engagement, and, when in the position shown, it bears on the upper edge of the shell 1, holding this in position. The cap I9 is provided with a cylindrical p'rojection 22 from its lower surface through .which a vent duct I8 passes, extending from the interior of the plug to the outer air. A notch 23 is provided in the upper surface of this cap to receive a screw-.driver for inserting or removing the cap.

A spherical weight I6 is located within the shell l, and, in the normal position of the plug shown in Fig. l, this weight rests on the interior lower spherical surface of the shell 'I and on the top of the plunger II, thereby depressing the plunger, causing it `to push the valve diaphragm I3 away from its seat. In this position vent passages are provided through the openings I4 in.

the diaphragm and the grooves I2 in the plunger and grooves I'I in the lower interior surface of the shell l, into the interior chamber of the plug v and thence out through the vent duct I8 in the cap I9.

When the vent plug is tilted into the position shown in Fig. 2, the spherical weight I6 will roll over the shoulder 20, releasing the pressure on the plunger II and permitting the diaphragm I3 to rise and close the opening, thus preventing liquid from escaping through this opening. If a small quantity of liquid should escape before the opening II) is closed by the diaphragm I3, it will be retained in the space `2| if the cell is inverted, and, on restoring the cell to'its normal upright position, this liquid will drain back through the grooves II and the opening Il) and the openings I4 in the diaphragm I3 and will thus be returned to the cell. y

In Fig. 6 there is shown a modification in which the actuating weight I 6a is in the form of a truncated cone rather than a sphere, the cone being provided with a depending skirt which rests on the ledge 3| of the cylindrical shell 'I. The weight I6a is also provided with an axial projection 32 from its lower surface which, in the position shown, bears upon the plunger II, depressing it to push the diaphragm I3 away from the orifice I0. Openings 33 are shown in the will rock about a It be obvious to thoseskilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction ,and arrangement in matters of mere form without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited in respect to such matters or otherwise than as the prior art and the appended claims may require.

I claim:-

1. VIn combination in a non-spill vent plug for a liquid containing receptacle, walls defining a hollow chamber provided with a vent orifice adapted to communicate with the interior of the receptacle, a resilient pliable perforated diaphragm fixedly supported at its rim and having an imperforate area confronting and adapted to lclose said orifice, and gravity-operated means adapted when the receptacle is in its normal upright position to apply pressure to the diaphragm to separate it from the orice to provide a venting passage from the interior of the receptacle through the perforations and the orifice, said gravity-operated means adapted to be displaced to relieve said pressure and permit the diaphragm to close theorifice when the receptacle is tilted from its normal vertical position.

2. A vent plug of the type recited having a vent passage including a seat and provided with a weight-operated resilient pliable diaphragm fixedly supported at its rim and having a central imperforate portion cio-operating with the seat to open and close the passage and having a perforated portion between its rim and its central imperforate portion to provide a vent through the diaphragm when the device is in normal position, and a weight element operatively arranged in respect to the diaphragm and responsive to l tilting motion of the plug.

3. A vent plug of the type recited having an axially disposed vent passage through it and equipped with a weight-operated resilient pliable diaphragm xedly supported at its rim and provided with an imperforate portion for sealing the outlet part of the vent passage' when the device is in tilted position and with a perforated portion for affording access to the outlet part of the passage when the device is in upright position,

and a weight element operatively arranged in respect to the diaphragm and responsive to tilting motion of the plug.

4. In combination in a non-spill venting deviceffor a liquid containing receptacle, walls de? ning a hollowchamber, said chamber being divided into upper and lower compartments, each of said compartments being arranged so as toA interior 'of the receptacle through the perforations and the orice, said gravity-operated means adapted to be displaced to relieve said pressure and permit the diaphragm to c lose the orice when the receptacle is tilted from its normal vertical position.

5. In combination 1in a non-spill vent plug for a liquid-containing receptacle, walls defining a hollow chamber provided with a ,vent orifice adapted to communicate with the interior of the receptacle, a'valve seat surrounding the vent orifice exteriorly of thechamber, a pliable resilient diaphragm, xedly supported at its rim,`

having an imperforate area confronting the valve seat and a perforated portion between the imperforate area and the rim, said diaphragm stressed to overlie the valve seat and close the vent orifice, and a weight member in the chamber adapted in the normal upright position of the receptacle to apply pressure to the diaphragm to force it away from the valve seat, said weight member adapted, when the vessel is tilted from its normal position to be displaced to relieve said pressure to permit the diaphragm to close the vent orifice.

JOSEPH LESTER WOODBRIDGE. 

